Sen. Thad Cochran of Mississippi says he will resign April 1 after more than 40 years in Congress.
His resignation isn't much of a surprise. Cochran, who is 80, has been suffering from health problems recently.
His retirement means there will be two Senate races in Mississippi this year — the state's other senator is up for re-election in November. Cochran wasn't up for re-election until 2020.
To fill Cochran's seat, the state will hold a nonpartisan special election. If no candidate gets 50 percent of the vote, there will be a runoff between the top two choices. But for now, Mississippi's governor will appoint a temporary replacement.
Additional reporting from Newsy affiliate CNN.
